Re: Posterize's Pro Prospects

I've really never seen Henderson drive left. Maybe he can, but I've never seen it. I think he can be a great defender though, could guard either backcourt spot and a few 3s.

And hit us up with some Budinger info, I barely got to see any of Zona. Seems really well rounded to me, people knock him for his defense but I've seen a lot of people say it improved greatly this past season.

Re: Posterize's Pro Prospects

I've really never seen Henderson drive left. Maybe he can, but I've never seen it. I think he can be a great defender though, could guard either backcourt spot and a few 3s.

I'm not sure about Henderson's ability driving left. For some you find out in the pros whether in they can or not because in college sometimes they just don't need to. In Tyreke Evans' case he's great at driving left, he just can't finish left. Henderson's dribble left into a pull up jumper could become a dangerous go-to move though.

And hit us up with some Budinger info, I barely got to see any of Zona. Seems really well rounded to me, people knock him for his defense but I've seen a lot of people say it improved greatly this past season.

I'll add him to the list. Flynn, Blair, Maynor, Curry, Budinger are the next 5. I wanna fit Jordan Hill in soon too.

Re: Posterize's Pro Prospects

Jonny Flynn, PG, Syracuse

Everybody knows my love for Jonny Flynn and how I projected him last year to be the best PG prospect in this draft. I'm not sure how I feel about that now. I still like him better than Ty Lawson, Patrick Mills, Eric Maynor, Calathes (had he entered), Jrue Holiday, and Jeff Teague. I've moved Stephen Curry ahead of him only. I haven't seen enough of Ricky Rubio and Brandon Jennings to really comment on where I stand with them. So Flynn is at worst the 4th best PG in the draft and 2nd at best. Though he tested short at the measurements (a near 6'1” in shoes) it surprised absolutely no one. Everybody knew that before so it shouldn't lower his stock. But he did have the best max vert in the draft (BUNNIES!) and he's a solid 196 lbs.

What most people question about Flynn besides his height is his outside jumpshot. It will never be anything close to great, but it can be respectable. He does have the range to get it to the rim from NBA deep. Does anybody remember Flynn's very first college game ever vs. Siena? The one where he went 6-7 from three, had 28 points and something like 10 assists? Flynn was knocking down NBA level threes that game like it was his job. I still have it fresh in my memory. In his prime I see him being an average NBA shooter (70 or so made in a season, 34-35%). If he can get there he'll have a fine career.

If Jonny's placed on a team that plays an up-tempo style of play (Philly for example) he's going to flourish. There's nobody as good as Jonny in this draft, or college basketball as a whole, at leading a fast break. He takes the term “eyes in the back of his head” to a whole new level. If he's placed on a team with exceptional athletes on the wings they could be one of the most exciting teams in the league.

Jonny's defense should only be worried about when playing PG's who are good at posting up (Billups, A. Miller, etc.). He won't be able to guard those types. But perimeter PG's (Rondo, Rose, Mo Williams, most of the other PG's in the league) will be fine. Jonny actually LOVES playing defense and before last season was begging Jim Boeheim to go against his traditional zone and let them play man-to-man. You often see Flynn smacking the hardwood and raising his arms as his man dribbles up the floor in attempt to get his team pumped. He's very strong and physical out on the perimeter and likes to play his man close, keeping his forearm out. We'll see how the NBA refs allow it. His steal numbers shouldn't be looked at too much. He's not a ball thief, but a lot of that is due to him not gambling. So you can look at those numbers as a good or bad thing, however you choose.

What really makes Flynn special is his intangibles. He has one of the best motors in college basketball and led the Big East in minutes played. Everyone witnessed the 6 OT game vs. Uconn where it looked like Flynn didn't even have sweat glands, knocking down late free throws with ease. The guy just doesn't get tired. He loves the big shot and has made a couple game winners in his 2 years, along with huge go-ahead buckets. He seems to thrive in clutch situations and doesn't get nervous.

I don't really see a comparison to anyone in the league with Flynn. I've heard TJ Ford, which I understand the comparison because of the size, but they do have different games. I've also heard a small Stephon Marbury. The difference between those two is Marbury had a much better ability to finish at the bucket because of his size and nobody knew how to cradle the ball on their hip for protection, almost holding it like an NFL RB, better than Marbury. If there's somebody I'd like to see Flynn pattern his career after it's Jameer Nelson. A guy who like Flynn, is 5'11” barefoot and just a block of muscle. But Jameer has improved his game so much since he came into the league because he's improved his outside shot. He's also become a great half court PG. If Flynn can pick up some of these qualities he should have no problem.

Re: Posterize's Pro Prospects

My one biggest knock on Flynn is he seems to sort of decide what he's going to do ahead of time. It's great that he's got the confidence to think he can do whatever he wants, but he obviously won't be able to in the L. His ballpounding is probably only outmatched by Collison's as well. He doesn't seem to know his limitations. I have no idea how he'll defend at the next level, he seems to have the tools to be solid, but he hasn't played man to man since HS.

Who knows where he'll land, but wherever it is, I hope it's a place with a vet presence already at the 1 he can sit behind and learn from. I think he'd be a great fit for PHX, an outstanding one. Philly would also be a good one if Miller's retained. He's a much better shooter than Ford was coming out of Texas, and seems to have outstanding leadership skills. But in approaches to the game, I still think they're very similar. Solid form but %s drop because of the insistence on driving to the hoop and putting up a shot. I don't want to call Flynn selfish, he isn't, but he's just too confident, which I know sounds like something you'd want in your 1.

Oh, and hope you don't think I'm trying to refute any of your opinions or anything. After all, that's all they are, and chances are neither of us know dick about how all these guys'll turn out ha.

Re: Posterize's Pro Prospects

[QUOTE=Posterize246]

James Johnson, F, Wake Forest

I really, really like this kid. Has a great all-around game as a small forward and is built like a tank, just pure muscle. But his size doesn't slow him down in the full court as he has great end to end speed. His size, strength, and speed is what makes him so intriguing. Measured a near 6'8

Re: Posterize's Pro Prospects

That's neat that you are now a fan of johnson and his game- you "really really like him" now- seems weird that its only now that he is a consensus lottery pick- before he was that you didn't think he was a 1st rounder even?

When did I say he wasn't first round? A year ago when you weren't even a member of this site?

I found this thread from May where I said I wish my team (Philly) had room for him because he'll be good

I found this thread from April where I said Johnson has an NBA game and he won't have to adapt much. This was when those draft sites you claim I look at had him in the mid to late 20s.

The only thing I can find is this thread, a mock draft I made not long after the '08 draft, that had him going in the beginning of the 2nd round. But back then Kemba Walker was expected to be a one and done, Patrick Patterson was expected to enter, Andrew Ogilvy was still a good prospect, Nick Calathes wasn't going to play in Greece, etc. You gonna flame me for a mock I made last July?

I disagree that he made huge strides from his freshman year

Okay.

but I just think its funny when people change their minds and how much these draft sites affect people like posterizes evaluations

People change their minds because players improve. I look at draft sites to see if others agree with me, not to form an opinion.

Re: Posterize's Pro Prospects

Originally Posted by InspiredLebowski

My one biggest knock on Flynn is he seems to sort of decide what he's going to do ahead of time. It's great that he's got the confidence to think he can do whatever he wants, but he obviously won't be able to in the L. His ballpounding is probably only outmatched by Collison's as well. He doesn't seem to know his limitations. I have no idea how he'll defend at the next level, he seems to have the tools to be solid, but he hasn't played man to man since HS.

Who knows where he'll land, but wherever it is, I hope it's a place with a vet presence already at the 1 he can sit behind and learn from. I think he'd be a great fit for PHX, an outstanding one. Philly would also be a good one if Miller's retained. He's a much better shooter than Ford was coming out of Texas, and seems to have outstanding leadership skills. But in approaches to the game, I still think they're very similar. Solid form but %s drop because of the insistence on driving to the hoop and putting up a shot. I don't want to call Flynn selfish, he isn't, but he's just too confident, which I know sounds like something you'd want in your 1.

Oh, and hope you don't think I'm trying to refute any of your opinions or anything. After all, that's all they are, and chances are neither of us know dick about how all these guys'll turn out ha.

Very good points. And yeah we don't know the first thing about how good they'll be in the NBA. All these "evaluations" are just meant to say what they can and can't do right now in their careers, which I think I'm at least pretty accurate. But as far as how good their career will be depends so much on playing time, coaching, veteran presence, the unkown (injuries), etc. It's impossible to predict. Thanks for your input I'm hoping how you mentioned he "doesn't know his limitations" just leads to him becoming better.

Re: Posterize's Pro Prospects

DeJuan Blair, PF, Pittsburgh

Just an absolute beast physically. One of the strongest players in the draft and just a complete bull. Was even recruited by Penn State for football despite never playing high school football just because of his size alone. He'll need to continue to lose weight. He came in at 277 lbs last week and while he'll need to still be a big boy, getting down to 265 will be great for him. He'll still be strong and powerful but will add some speed with the lost weight.

He does a great job of establishing his position down in the low post as his frame is too wide and large for many to handle. Has big, soft hands and can catch a ball with any kind of zip on it. Maybe his best asset is he has a great left hand around the basket. If all he did was shoot layups around the bucket the whole game you'd never be able to tell if he was left or right handed. Uses his body very well to keep his shot from being blocked even though he's so short. He knows very well how to get space against his defender no matter how tall (see Thabeet, Hasheem) and get his shot off with ease in the low post. He's very good at finding open gaps in the defense in which the PG can thread the needle on the pass to get it to him for an easy layup.

If Blair can develop a consistent jumper from out to 15 he'll be a much better player and earn more minutes. As of right now he's way too one dimensional offensively to have any plays run for him. He'll also need to improve his free throw shooting to at least 70% (it was 60% in college) if he's going to be so physical down low. You can expect to see him on the free throw line as it's impossible to not foul him but if he can't make them what good is it?

He's the best pure rebounder in the draft especially on the offensive end. Has such a great wingspan that it's impossible to keep him away especially when he uses that huge body. He should end up one of the best rebounders per minute in the NBA. Defensively he'll struggle against tall, quick, face up type PF's (Aldridge, KG, Rasheed, Jamison) and should strictly guard low post types who can't take him off the dribble. With his huge wingspan he's especially good at poking away his defender's dribble. Sometimes it works, sometimes he gets called for a foul. He'll have to be more picky about when to do this in the NBA or he'll rack up fouls quick.

A player Blair kind of reminds me of is Danny Fortson. Big wide body, though short, and a great rebounder who does most of his work within 8 feet of the basket. Won't be the locker room distraction that Danny was. If he could lose some pounds and develop that short midrange J like I said I'd love to see him turn into a Corliss Williamson type. He's better suited for a team who doesn't do too much running but bases their offense more off of half court sets. A team who could use some frontcourt toughness like Milwaukee would be a good place for him. It'll be tough for him to find his spot in the league. I seriously doubt he can be a starter. But pure undersized rebounders have always found a spot in the league and are always fan favorites for doing the dirty work. Guys like Reggie Evans, Paul Millsap, Chuck Hayes, and Kenny Thomas have all made careers out of being great rebounders and there's no reason Blair can't follow those footsteps.

Re: Posterize's Pro Prospects

Blair is my favourite player in this draft, along with Clark. I love Blair's game. Tough, hard working, rugged, does the dirty work and does it all with a smile on his face. He just loves to play.

I know some won't agree with me, but he reminds me of Rodman. Not because of talent, because Rodman was far and away better than Blair may ever be. But, the way he plays the game and the swagger he has on court reminds me a little bit of Rodman. They both know/knew just what they are capable of. They absolutely love the game, they always play at 110% and they just play. They both have that similar style of just going after the ball, it doesn't matter who's in the way, because they know they can get it.

They both have freakishly long arms. They are both excellent offensive rebounders, both great defenders. Though, it is yet to be seen how Blair will do on defense in the NBA. I'm sure he will be fine, if he just loses a bit of weight, which will help is quickness, as you rightly mentioned Posterize.

I'm sure Blair will carve out a nice niche in the league, where ever he lands. There's no team that can do without a strong, fierce rebounding machine like Blair.

Re: Posterize's Pro Prospects

We seem to be in complete agreement on Blair. I absolute LOVE the kid and his game, a true throwback. Like you said, he'll have a long productive career, but I don't think he'll ever be a capable starter either, more a 4th big in a rotation. A lot of the big names I'm not a fan of because they can't seem to play within their limits. Blair has nothing near that problem, he knows his strengths and uses them with great efficiency.

Again, like you said, he has to develop a 15 footer to have any offensive effectiveness other than putbacks. Scoring buckets isn't all that matters on O though, obviously. He's a very good screener, but w/o a J and lack of speed he won't be that effective. Perhaps use him in double screen situations to get him closer to the hoop for the o-board.

I'm worried about what he'll be able to do defensively. With the NBA going to more and more perimeter oriented bigs, his one true defensive plus, low post D, will be negated many nights. Then on the occasions they do try to post him up his height will be a problem. I know he's got a great wingspan, but he often plays with his arms down. Perhaps he can be coached up in that regard. He'll struggle in the PnR thanks to his lack of speed.

All that said, if he's used in the right situations, he can be a very productive player. I do worry that with him losing weight, if he continues to do, say gets down to 250ish someday, how it'll effect his physical nature. Hopefully he doesn't get put into a position where a team wants him to do so. Fortson and Evans are good comparisons I think. Wherever he does land he's sure to be a fan favorite.

Re: Posterize's Pro Prospects

Blair is my favourite player in this draft, along with Clark. I love Blair's game. Tough, hard working, rugged, does the dirty work and does it all with a smile on his face. He just loves to play.

I know some won't agree with me, but he reminds me of Rodman. Not because of talent, because Rodman was far and away better than Blair may ever be. But, the way he plays the game and the swagger he has on court reminds me a little bit of Rodman. They both know/knew just what they are capable of. They absolutely love the game, they always play at 110% and they just play. They both have that similar style of just going after the ball, it doesn't matter who's in the way, because they know they can get it.

They both have freakishly long arms. They are both excellent offensive rebounders, both great defenders. Though, it is yet to be seen how Blair will do on defense in the NBA. I'm sure he will be fine, if he just loses a bit of weight, which will help is quickness, as you rightly mentioned Posterize.

I'm sure Blair will carve out a nice niche in the league, where ever he lands. There's no team that can do without a strong, fierce rebounding machine like Blair.

Re: Posterize's Pro Prospects

Originally Posted by InspiredLebowski

We seem to be in complete agreement on Blair. I absolute LOVE the kid and his game, a true throwback. Like you said, he'll have a long productive career, but I don't think he'll ever be a capable starter either, more a 4th big in a rotation. A lot of the big names I'm not a fan of because they can't seem to play within their limits. Blair has nothing near that problem, he knows his strengths and uses them with great efficiency.

Again, like you said, he has to develop a 15 footer to have any offensive effectiveness other than putbacks. Scoring buckets isn't all that matters on O though, obviously. He's a very good screener, but w/o a J and lack of speed he won't be that effective. Perhaps use him in double screen situations to get him closer to the hoop for the o-board.

I'm worried about what he'll be able to do defensively. With the NBA going to more and more perimeter oriented bigs, his one true defensive plus, low post D, will be negated many nights. Then on the occasions they do try to post him up his height will be a problem. I know he's got a great wingspan, but he often plays with his arms down. Perhaps he can be coached up in that regard. He'll struggle in the PnR thanks to his lack of speed.

All that said, if he's used in the right situations, he can be a very productive player. I do worry that with him losing weight, if he continues to do, say gets down to 250ish someday, how it'll effect his physical nature. Hopefully he doesn't get put into a position where a team wants him to do so. Fortson and Evans are good comparisons I think. Wherever he does land he's sure to be a fan favorite.

All 100% agreed. I almost feel like Blair couldn't start for a even a really bad team, but could be the first big off the bench for a championship contender...if that makes sense to anyone else besides me.

Re: Posterize's Pro Prospects

I feel like a lot of Blair's physicality and aggressiveness is partly credited to his massive hulking frame. I wonder that if he drops some weight, he won't be able to play to his style. I only saw a few of his games, and I thought a bigpart of his game that gave him an advantage was his massive tank-ish body just plowing through dudes.